I 5 2 FALCONIFORMES 



and tail, more or less barred with dusky, and broad l>lackish tips 

 to the rectrices. The bare red skin of the cheeks and throat 

 imparts a vulturine look, belied, however, by the almost gallin- 

 aceous feet. It inhabits South America from Ecuador and Cluiana 

 southwards; but thence the verysimilarP.cA^rM/^rtyranges to Florida 

 and Lower California, P. liitosus occurring in Guadelupe Island off 

 the latter. The Carancho or Caracara, as P. fhr/rns is called, re- 

 sembles in habits the " Turkey -Buzzards " {Plhinogryijhus), with 

 which it consorts, though somewhat shy and quarrelsome. Semi- 

 gregarious, and audacious if unmolested, it passes tlie hot hours 

 in the shade, and roosts in company at night ; while the powerful 

 and graceful tiight, with its alternate sailing or flapping move- 

 ments, though not rapid, enables it to soar in spirals to a great alti- 

 tude. It walks or runs with ease. The far-reachino- u-ratinfi' note 

 is usually uttered with the head thrown back ; the food of refuse 

 and carrion is supplemented by young lamljs or alligators, Ijirds, 

 frogs, reptiles, land-crabs, worms, and insects. When on a tree, 

 bush, or cliff, the large shallow nest, often renewed yearly, is made 

 of sticks and lined with grass, leaves, roots, wool, or scraps of any 

 sort ; but, when on the ground or in swamps, reeds and herbage 

 are commonly utilized. The three or four eggs range from white 

 with red blotches to cinnamon with a few black marks. 



Ihycter, Phalcohaeiius, and Sencx are kindred Neotropical genera 

 of a greenish-black colour, with a varialjle amount of white on the 

 tail, lower parts, and even tlie wings and nape ; the cheeks and 

 throat are naked and red in the first, and orange in the second, while 

 the cheeks only are yellow in the third. Phahohaerms has a slight 

 crest, P. carimculatus a fleshy orange caruncle at the base of the 

 bill, Senex rufous thighs. Ihjcter ater occurs in Amazonia, /. 

 americanus from Guatemala and Honduras to Brazil, Pha/cohaenvs 

 megalopterus from Chili to West Peru, P. carunculatus in Ecuador 

 and New Granada, P. aJhigularis in Patagonia, while Senex 

 australis is the " Johnny Eook " of the Ealklands. Close allies 

 are Milvago chimachima and M. chimango, ranging from Panama 

 to Paraguay, and from aliout lat. 20° S. to Tierra del Fuego 

 respectively ; the former is brown, with creamy head, neck, tail, 

 and under-parts, and rectrices barred with brown; the latter has the 

 head rufous and black, the lower surface streaky-looking yellowish- 

 brown, the tail greyer. The lores and naked orbits are pinkish. 



These forms are similar in manners to Pohjhorvs, but Milvago is 



